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The Masters will never be cheugy.
It may be a crime of fashion to be overdone, outdated or, gasp, dressed in millennial-core for 51 weeks a year. But for this week, at Augusta National Golf Club during the Masters, the patrons come dressed for the scene they find when they step on property, and there’s something about the place that makes it all work.
The open space between the clubhouse, the first tee and the practice green at Augusta National is like the Shibuya Crossing of golf. Spectators shuffle in every which direction, creating a dizzying blur of rye green, seersucker and straw hats. The Green Jackets gather under the canopy of the legendary oak tree, schmoozing with VIP guests, while groups of done-up women meander about, greeting each other and dishing out compliments on floral dresses from the latest spring collections: “Oh I love that! Where’s it from?”
From the old to the young, to the PGA Tour superfan and the clueless significant other, the patrons at Augusta National all have one thing in common when it comes to their varying fashion choices: They’re trying to say something.
The spectators at the Masters take full advantage of the opportunity to be, well, extra.
For the men, this effort manifests in a competition as old as time. The Country Club Logo Olympics begin at 7:00 a.m. Monday, when the patron gates open for the week’s first practice round. At the Masters, the idea of “quiet luxury” is not just a Hermès bag or a pair of Chanel ballet flats, but also needlepoint whales and acorns stitched onto canvas golf hats.
It’s impossible for a few not to catch your eye: Pine Valley on a navy polo, Seminole Golf Club on a cashmere pullover. Spot the ultra-private Ohoopee Match Club onion? Or the lesser-known but mighty crest for one of Scotland’s finest, North Berwick Golf Club? It might spark a conversation. That’s exactly what they want.
For the women of Augusta National, there’s an understanding that you dress for the female gaze. Admit it or don’t, you’re scrolling Pinterest and TikTok in the months leading up the tournament to find outfit inspiration for your Masters outfit, which, if you’re attending Thursday-Sunday, will not be seen on an Instagram feed (unless you film an “outfit check” in the parking lot.) Cell phones are prohibited from the Augusta National grounds and cameras are only allowed on practice round days. You dress to impress, though, even if the internet may not see it.
“The key to fashion at the Masters is not necessarily clothes that you’d wear to play golf. Those outfits are great for other golf tournaments. For me, the Masters is more like the Kentucky Derby of golf, minus the hat and definitely minus the heels,” says Golf Channel’s Kira K. Dixon. “If you wear a hat, it should just be a really good wide-brim hat because sun protection is key.”
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